The effects of the first year of college on undergraduates' development of altruistic and socially responsible behavior

The present study examines the effects of first-year college experiences on undergraduate students' development of altruistic and socially responsible behavior - a critical college outcome that leads to significant public or external benefits and support. Furthermore, this study examines whether the effects of first-year college experiences on altruistic and socially responsible behavior vary between first-generation and non-first-generation students. To guide the study's investigation, human, social, and cultural capital theory are used as conceptual frameworks and college impact models - including Astin's Input-Environment-Outcome model, Pascarella's General Model for Assessing Change model, and Weidman's model of undergraduate socialization - serve as a theoretical guide. Using longitudinal, pretest-posttest data from the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education, ordinary least squares regressions are utilized to estimate the effects of the college experience on first-year students' altruism and social responsibility. Findings from these analyses suggest that a number of first-year college experiences and participation in vetted good practices significantly contribute to undergraduates' development of altruistic and socially responsible behavior.